Definition:

Generalized anxiety disorder is a persistent and common mental disorder. This disorder is twice as common in women than it is in men. The symptoms include generalised and persistent excessive anxiety and a combination of various psychological and somatic complaints, such as threat, restlessness, irritability, sleep disturbance, tension, palpitations, dry mouth, and sweating. The symptoms overlap greatly with those of other mental disorders and we could regard the disorder as part of a spectrum of mood and related disorders rather than an independent disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder has a relapsing course, and intervention rarely results in complete resolution of symptoms. But in the short term and medium term, effective treatments include psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, and pharmacological treatments, mainly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).